Trash compactor with hold-down means for trash container and liner

ABSTRACT

A trash container for use in a trash compactor employs a round bucket in which is placed a disposable plastic bag. A bag liner in the form of a one piece, collapsible sheet of polyurethane is placed around the interior of the bucket over the disposable bag to protect the latter during compaction of trash. In order to prevent trash jammed between the edge of the ram and bag liner from pulling out the latter when the ram of the compactor is withdrawn, a number of spring loaded hold-downs bear against the top edge of the liner and are automatically lifted clear by the ram at the top of its stroke so that the container can be removed.

United States Patent 191 Bourgeois et al.

[ Sept. 10, 1974 James M. Grace, Elberon, both of Iowa [73] Assignee: Amana Refrigeration, Inc., Amana,

Iowa

[22] Filed: Mar. 23, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 344,190

[52] US. Cl. 100/229 A, 53/124 B, 141/73 [51] Int. Cl. B30b 15/30 [58] Field of Search 100/229 R, 229 A, 240, 100/245, 221, 224, 225; 141/71, 73, 80; 53/124 B [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 279,854 6/1883 Belt 100/229 A 8/1956 Wilson et a1 100/229 11/1973 Karls et a1 100/229 A Primary ExaminerBilly J. Wilhite Attorney, Agent, or Firml-Iaven E. Simmons; James C. Nemmers [5 7] ABSTRACT A trash container for use in a trash compactor em ploys a round bucket in which is placed a disposable plastic bag. A bag liner in the form of a one piece, collapsible sheet of polyurethane is placed around the interior of the bucket over the disposable bag to protect the latter during compaction of trash. In order to prevent trash jammed between the edge of the ram and bag liner from pulling out the latter when the ram of the compactor is withdrawn, a number of spring loaded hold-downs bear against the top edge of the liner and are automatically lifted clear by the ram at the top of its stroke so that the container can be removed.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED 3.834.299

, SIEH 1 IF 3 FIG I PAIENTEUSEP 1 01974 smears TRASH COMPACTOR WITH HOLD-DOWN MEANS FOR TRASH CONTAINER AND LINER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Both round and non-round containers previously employed in trash compactors, especially of the domestic type, often lack protection for the disposable bag with which the container is customarily lined in order for the compacted trash to be removed as a body. During the compacting stroke the bag is often torn by sharp objects, such as cans and bottles, thus soiling the interior of the container and perhaps even rendering the bag ineffective for disposing of the trash, or in any event making it impossible to seal against emission of odors. In addition, trash often becomes wedged between the edge of the ram and the bag, or any liner protecting it, during the compacting stroke so that when the ram is withdrawn it tends to pull the bag or liner out of the container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The trash container consists of a metal, bucket-like container which tapers from a greater to a lesser diameter top to bottom. Within the outer container is placed a disposable plastic bag. A resilient sheet of polyurethane rolled into tube shape but unjoined along two overlapping edges, is partially collapsed, inserted into the bag and allowed to expand against its walls in order to protect the latter from tearing during compaction of trash. The bag liner is slidably removed from the container and is equipped at its .top edge with a lip for this purpose which fits over the top edge of the container and the bag and also serves to retain the latter in position. after compaction of trash and removal of the bag liner the disposable bag can be readily lifted out owing to the taper of the container.

In order to prevent trash wedged between the edge of the ram and the bag liner from pulling the latter out of the container on the withdrawal of the ram, four spring loaded hold-downs are secured to the compactor chassis and press down upon the rim of the bag liner when the ram is within the container. Also, the container itself is thereby immobilized so that it is not disturbed by the action of the ram. As the ram reaches the top of its stroke, the upper face of the ram head engages shoulders in the hold-downs, which are in the form of vertically movable bars, and lifts them free of the rim of the liner against the pressure of the springs. The container is thus freed so that it can be withdrawn from under the ram for deposit of trash or for empty- BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a trash compactor illustrating the present invention, the holddowns being shown lifted clear of the trash container by the ram head in its uppermost position.

FIG. 2 is-an exploded view of the trash container itself showing its components including the bag liner.

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate the action of the holddowns when the ram is within and without the trash container, respectively.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The trash compactor consists of a chassis 10 formed essentially of a heavy, downwardly flanged rectangular floor plate 11 reinforced beneath by a transverse channel assembly 12. Just inboard of and along the side edges of the floor plate 11 are located two broad, shallow vertical channels 13 disposed in facing relation to each other, only one being illustrated in FIG. 1. The lower ends of the channels 13 are provided with horizontal tongues 13a which pass through slots 11a along the side flanges of the floor plate 11 and engage its under face, being secured thereto by bolts 13b. The channels 13 extend nearly to the top'of the compactor and are capped by a heavy, downwardly flanged top plate 14, also reinforced above by a pair of transverse channel assemblies 15. The respective opposite flanges of the vertical channels 13 are connected by horizontal channels 16 intermediate the floor and top plates 11 and 14, all to form in effect a heavy, cage-like structure in which the ram operates. Over the chassis is slipped an open front, rectangular sheet metal cabinet 17 whose forward edges are flanged at 17a and provided with a toe space 18. The front of the cabinet is closed by three panels 19, 20 and 21 against the cabinet flanges 17a, the upper edge of the panel 21 being provided with a hand' grip 22. The cabinet 17 is secured only to the rear and side edges of the floor plate 11, being otherwise spaced from the chassis 10 in order to minimize transmission of vibration, and the floor and top plates 11 and 14 extend forward to just behind the toe space 18 and the panel 19, respectively.

The ram assembly, generally indicated at 30, consists of an upper horizontal plate 31 of rectangular shape generally spanning the area bounded by the four inner corners of the channels 13 and provided with a pair of transverse upwardly turned flanges 32. From the side edges of the plate 31 depend a pair of deep skirt plates 33 (only one being illustrated in FIG. 1), reinforced by angle braces 34 about the two edges of the plate 31 between the skirt plated 33 and by flanges 35a and 35b along the four vertical and two bottom edges of the skirt plates 33. Over the four corners formed by the skirt plates 33 and their flanges 35a are secured glides 36 fashioned from flat strips of nylon which slidably bear against the inner comers of the channels 13. Beneath the upper plate 31 are welded the upper ends of a pair of trapezoidal shaped supports 37 braced by flanges 38 along their upright edges and disposed in spaced, back-to-back relation centrally of the plate 31. Welded to the lower ends of the supports 37 is the upper face of a circular ram bottom plate 39 centrally disposed with respect to the upper ram plate 31 to which is removably attached a suitable ram head 40. The upper ram plate 31 is centrally apertured between the supports 37 to receive a flanged swivel seat 41 for a swivel nut 42 having a squared upper boss, the seat 41 and nut 42 being retained by a flange plate 43 bolted through the plate 31. The plate 43 has a squared aperture receiving the squared boss of the swivel nut 42 in order to prevent its rotation. Through the swivel nut 42 is threaded a long, Acme type vertical screw 44, its threads being interrupted at 45 toward its upper end and provided thereabove with a pair of opposite flats on which is threaded a nut 46. The latter supports a large, cogged driven gear 47 whose hub 48 fits the flats of the screw 44 to fix the gear 47 relative to the screw 44. On the hub 48 is placed a sleeve needle bearing 49 which is received in a flat bushing 50 seated in an aperture in the chassis top plate 14 and bolted thereto between the channel assemblies 15. Above and below the bushing 50 are interposed washer-type needle thrust bearings, 51, each sandwiched between a pair of flat washers. Through the bushing 50 extends the upper endof the screw 44, the latter and thus the entire ram assembly 30 being suspended from the bushing 50 by means of a nut 52. In order to prevent whipping of the screw 44, its lower end is extended down through an aperture 53 in the ram bottom plate 39 and ram head 40. Forward of the ram assembly 30 a hat-shaped bracket 54 is bolted to the under face of the chassis top plate 14 from which is vertically suspended an appropriate electric motor M, the upper end of its drive shaft carrying a small cogged drive gear 55, the gears 47 and 55 being connected by a suitable cogged drive belt (not shown).

Accordingly, as the screw 44 is driven in the appropriate direction, the entire ram assembly 30 moved downwardly owing to the swivel nut 42. The eight nylon glides 36, which in effect provide a total of eight bearing faces, fit tightly against the inner corners of the chassis channels 13 and are heavily greased. The screw 44, which provides a single axis of thrust centrally disposed with respect to the ram assembly 30 and parallel to the glides 36, absorbs most of the resistance encountered by the ram assembly 30 as it descends. Any tendency for it to cock or twist is resisted by the strength of the ram assembly 30, the extensive length of the eight surfaces of the nylon glides 36 and the substantial lateral spacing of the latter from the axis of the screw 44. Any cocking relative to the screw 44 is accommodated by the swivel seat 41 and nut 42. The interrupted thread portion 45 of the screw 44 prevents over-travel of the ram 30 upon its upward movement.

The slide-out mount 60 for the trash container is formed by a rectangular floor pan 61 having a large centrally located, circular aperture 62 therein normally axially aligned with the ram head 40 and somewhat larger in diameter. The mount 60 is carried on a pair of three-piece, ball bearing full extension glides (not shown) connected to the channels 13 and the floor pan 61. A pair of upright, trapezoidal braces 63 (only one being shown) secure side edges of the floor pan 61 to the side edges of the cabinet front panel 21. The trash container 64 is supported in the aperture 62 above the floor plate 11 by means of several leaf springs (not shown) carried by the floor pan 61. When the ram 30 is in its fully retracted position, the container 64 can be pulled forwardly out of the cabinet 17 on its mount 60, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1, by the hand grip 22 in order for trash to be deposited or for emptying. When the ram 30 is activated by any conventional means controlling forward and reverse operation of the motor M, it first descends to compress the trash at which time the container supporting springs deflect allowing the container 64 to sink through the aperture 62 until its bottom sits firmly upon the chassis floor plate 11. When maximum compression has been reached, the motor M is automatically reversed to withdraw the ram 30.

The trash container 64 consists of a round, bucket 65 equipped with handles 66 (or cut-outs). Within the bucket 65 is placed a disposable plastic bag 67, folded over the top of the bucket 65, which, is protected by a bag liner 68 in the form of a resilient sheet of polyurethane of cylindrical shape split along one side. The bag liner 68 is collapsed sufficiently to fit within the bag 67 and then released so that it expands against the bag 67. The upper edge of the liner 68 is formed to provide a circumferential lip 69 which fits over the rim of the bucket 65 and the folded edge of the bag 67 in order to anchor the latter and to assist removal of the liner 68. The bucket 65 tapers somewhat from top to bottom. As a practical working example, the bucket 65 may be formed from 16 gage galvanized steel with top and bottom outside diameters of 14-% inches and 14 inches respectively and a height of about 15 inches. The wall thickness of the bag liner 68 can be about 0050-0060 inches.

When the container is used in a trash compactor having a vertically descending ram, the bag liner 68, owing to the rather remarkable properties of its material, protects the sides of the disposable bag 67 from tearing during the compacting stroke even in the presence of metal and broken glass. The bags 67 are readily available standard items so that no specially formed or shaped bags are necessary; most any bag which generally fits within the bucket will do the job. When the bag liner 68 is withdrawn, the bag 67 with the trash compressed therein can be readily removed from the bucket 65 owing both to the absence of the liner 68 and the overall taper of the bucket 65.

When the ram 30 descends to compress trash in the container 64 it often happens that some paper, plastic or even metal or glass may become wedged between the edge of the ram head 40 and the wall of the bag liner 68. Upon reversal of the ram 30, the edge of the ram head 40 and the wall of the bag liner 68, and sometimes even the bag 67, out of the bucket 65. In order to counteract this, the compactor is fitted with four hold-downs pairs of which are illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3A and 3B. Each hold-down comprises a flat bar vertically disposed adjacent one end of a channel 16. The lower portion or shank of the bar 80 is slidable in a suitable aperture in the lower leg of the channel 16, its lowermost end being formed as a splayed foot 81 twisted so that it lies roughly radially of the ram head 40 and contacts the lip 69 of the bag liner 68 during descent and withdrawal of the ram 30. The upper portion of the bar 80 is reduced in section to provide a tang 82 which slidably operates in a suitable aperture in the upper leg of the channel 16. A powerful coil spring 83, exerting perhaps 50-100 lbs of pressure, encircles the tang 82 between the upper leg of the channel 16 and the shank of the bar 80 in order to maintain the foot 81 in firm engagement with the liner lip 69, as shown in FIG. 3A, and to resist any withdrawal of the bag liner 68 upon the up-stroke of the ram 30. Just above the foot 81, the shank of the bar 80 is relieved to provide an overhanging shoulder 84 which is engaged by the upper surface of the ram bottom plate 39 as the ram 30 approaches the top of its return stroke, thus lifting the foot 81 against the spring 83 clear of the liner lip 69, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 33, so that the container 64 can be withdrawn by the mount 60. The four hold-downs together retain the bucket 65 and bag liner 68 in position very effectively, as well as retain the overall container 64 firmly on the mount 60, at all times when the ram 30 is operating.

Though the present invention has been described in terms of a particular embodiment, being the best mode known of carrying out the invention, it is not limited to that embodiment alone. Instead, the following claims are to be read as encompassing all modifications and adaptations of the invention falling within its spirit and scope.

We claim:

1. In a trash compactor having a ram linearly movable in a first direction from a withdrawn position outside to a compacting position inside of a trash container and then in the reverse direction to its withdrawn position, the container having an open mouth through which the ram enters the container to compact trash therein, a stationary chassis within which the ram operates and in which the trash container is located effective so that the container resists thrust of the ram in the first direction, the improvement comprising: container restraining means carried by the chassis effective to exert force in the first direction upon the container when the ram is between its said positions to prevent displacement of the container in the reverse direction upon movement of the ram from its compacting to its withdrawn position, the container restraining means including means engageable by the ram in its withdrawn position effective to release the container restraining means in order to permit removal of the contajner from the chassis transversely of said directions.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the container restraining means are resiliently operative upon the container.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the container restraining means comprise a plurality of restraining members spaced about the container mouth, each of the restraining members being mounted on the chassis for slidable movement with respect thereto in said directions into and out of operative action as aforesaid upon the container.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the mouth of the container constitutes a rim thereabout and the ram includes a ram head adjacent the container rim when the ram is in its withdrawn position, the ram head having a surface disposed transversely of said directions; wherein each of the restraining members is provided with an integral foot at one end thereof disposed adjacent the container rim, the aforesaid operative action of the restraining member upon the container being provided by action of the foot upon the container rim; and wherein each restraining member is formed with an integral shoulder thereon adjacent the foot, the shoulder extending transversely of said directions and engageable by the ram head surface to release the foot and member as aforesaid.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein the container includes a disposable, flexible bag therein and a sheet like bag liner disposed about the walls of the bag having an edge adjacent the container rim, the feet of the restraining members also acting upon said edge of the bag liner to restrain withdrawal thereof from the container when the ram is moved to its withdrawn position.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said liner edge is provided with a peripheral lip disposed around and over the container rim, the feet of the restraining members engaging said lip. 

1. In a trash compactor having a ram linearly movable in a first direction from a withdrawn position outside to a compacting position inside of a trash container and then in the reverse direction to its withdrawn position, the container having an open mouth through which the ram enters the container to compact trash therein, a stationary chassis within which the ram operates and in which the trash container is located effective so that the container resists thrust of the ram in the first direction, the improvement comprising: container restraining means carried by the chassis effective to exert force in the first direction upon the container when the ram is between its said positions to prevent displacement of the container in the reverse direction upon movement of the ram from its compacting to its withdrawn position, the container restraining means including means engageablE by the ram in its withdrawn position effective to release the container restraining means in order to permit removal of the container from the chassis transversely of said directions.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the container restraining means are resiliently operative upon the container.
 3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the container restraining means comprise a plurality of restraining members spaced about the container mouth, each of the restraining members being mounted on the chassis for slidable movement with respect thereto in said directions into and out of operative action as aforesaid upon the container.
 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the mouth of the container constitutes a rim thereabout and the ram includes a ram head adjacent the container rim when the ram is in its withdrawn position, the ram head having a surface disposed transversely of said directions; wherein each of the restraining members is provided with an integral foot at one end thereof disposed adjacent the container rim, the aforesaid operative action of the restraining member upon the container being provided by action of the foot upon the container rim; and wherein each restraining member is formed with an integral shoulder thereon adjacent the foot, the shoulder extending transversely of said directions and engageable by the ram head surface to release the foot and member as aforesaid.
 5. The combination of claim 4 wherein the container includes a disposable, flexible bag therein and a sheet like bag liner disposed about the walls of the bag having an edge adjacent the container rim, the feet of the restraining members also acting upon said edge of the bag liner to restrain withdrawal thereof from the container when the ram is moved to its withdrawn position.
 6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said liner edge is provided with a peripheral lip disposed around and over the container rim, the feet of the restraining members engaging said lip. 